Steven Universe x Connie
by ThunderClash
Summary: The greatest Steven Universe shipping-fic you will ever read!
1. Chapter 1

**Act One**

It was a bright, sunny, hot day in Beach City. The ocean glistened, and waves crashed onto the heated sand with a thunderous roar that the half-gem named Steven was used to. It was spring, and the air was filled with life and positivity. Flowers blossomed on the grassy patches around the beach in their gentle, calm demeanor.

Soft, warm rays of sunlight kissed their petals as they danced in the breeze.

The sun was almost directly above, so Steven estimated that it must be around noon.

The boy ran up the hot beach to where he and the Crystal Gems lived. He noticed that the Gems; Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst must have done some work to the house and the statue carved into the cliff behind the house. The moss on the statue had been removed. Some touch-ups on the paint of the house could also been seen. The statue seemed polished and cleaned, since there was a glossy and clean look to it. Or as Steven referred to it; "Squeaky-clean!" It looked elegant and pretty as professional calligraphy on a parchment.

Steven arrived at the front door of the house, and opened the door carefully as to not disturb any fresh paint. He was instantly greeted by the strong-but-silent Garnet, the leader of the Crystal Gems;

"Steven, where were you?" she asked plainly

"Oh, sorry Garnet. I was at Connie's house!"

Garnets face softened a bit and she gave a slight smile; "You sure do like her."

Steven laughed; "I guess so. She-"

Steven was interrupted by the warp portal glowing, a blue beam of light shot out, lighting up the house. It signaled that the other two Crystal Gems, Pearl and Amethyst, had returned home.

"Hey, hey, hey, Steven!" Amethyst called

Steven was excited to tell the Gems about what Connie has told him earlier.

"Now that you guys are all here, I have to tell you something important!" Steven announced

Pearl and Amethyst stepped off the warp portal and towards Steven;

"Well, what is it?" she asked

Steven grinned with a starry look in his eyes; "Connie asked me if I could go to the school dance with her!" he exclaimed, and then he began to bounce around the room excitedly.

The three Gems exchanged glances, and Pearl smiled; "That's great Steven! It's very nice of Connie to invite you." she said, feeling good for Steven.

Pearl had always known that Steven would make some human friends sometime, and firmly believed that he needed to develop human relationships.

Amethyst just laughed; "Ooooh! Like a date, huh?"

Pearl rolled her eyes at the purple Gem standing beside her, and then turned her attention back. She glanced around the house, pondering.

"Well… You'll need a suit to wear, and maybe a bow tie… Oh! And dance lessons too. Maybe some perfume, and a gift for Connie as well! It'll be so great!"

Amethyst chuckled and rolled her eyes; "Eh, cool it down Pearl. You're overthinking it."

Pearl ignored her comment.

Garnet spoke up; "Pearl, Steven, don't get your hopes up. I'm not sure if Steven should go anywhere. He should stay here at the Crystal Temple. I'm sensing some serious danger."

Steven looked down, obviously saddened; "Well, it isn't today. It's tomorrow evening anyways…" he said

Pearl could feel the boys' disappointment. Feeling bad for him, she pulled the other two Gems aside in hopes to convince Garnet to let Steven go.

She sighed; "Garnet, I know you sense danger right now, and I understand why you'd want Steven to stay here where he's safer instead of going to the dance. But Steven needs human friends and human activities! He needs some freedom! He really wants to go. Please Garnet, just let him go this one time."

Amethyst, feeling awkward, simply nodded and agreed with Pearl.

Garnet stayed silent for a few moments. Pearl and Amethyst exchanged glances, then payed attention to Garnet again.

Garnet took a deep breath, exhaled, and then simply stated; "Alright. He can go to the dance. I'm not sure it would be the best idea though."

Pearl smiled; "Thanks, Garnet! You know how much he likes Connie. And he needs to get out of the house too."  
Garnet nodded slightly and walked back toward Steven: "You can go. But stay at the school after the dance is done. Do not go anywhere else. Make sure you take Lion with you as well."

Steven's face lit up with happiness as he bounced around the house excitedly.

"Thanks Garnet! You're the best!"  
Garnet smiled a little; "I suppose so…I just hope everything goes alright."

Amethyst laughed and pushed Garnet playfully; "It will! Don't worry about it at all. I bet Steven can handle himself, that little rascal!"

Afternoon soon turned to evening, and the pink and orange hues in the sky reflected on the calm ocean. The waves were light and gentle on the shore. Trees and brush were silhouetted against the twilight sky.

Garnet and Pearl sat on top of the cliff, next to the lighthouse. They overlooked the beautiful body of water before them. They hadn't said much to each other yet, as Garnet was still troubled with her decision to let Steven go to the dance with his friend.

She could feel a deep fear in her heart, indicating impending danger. She turned to Pearl and examined her body language. Pearl seemed calm and at peace with everything.

"Maybe everything will turn out alright…Maybe there _is_ nothing to worry about" Garnet thought

The sun slowly crawled behind the horizon, and it soon became dark.

Pearl stood up, still looking out to the ocean; "We should get some rest now, Garnet."

The Gem nodded, and the two went back inside the house.

Steven was fast asleep on his bed with his pink pet Lion snoring next to him.

Garnet sighed, smiling at the sleeping Steven; "Maybe it will turn out okay…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Act Two**

It was morning now, and the fresh soft dew had been sprinkled on the grass and flowers. The waves were still fairly calm and the ocean sparkled in the morning sun. Businesses had started to open along the boardwalk near the beach.

The sun was warm and bright, bringing life and comfort again to the plants.

Steven had woken up early to visit his dad at the car wash. Greg (also known as Mr. Universe or 'Dad') was turning on all the mechanisms in the car wash, as he was preparing to open for the day.

"Daaaaaaaaad! Hey daaaaaaaad!" Steven called out

"Huh?! Steven?" Greg replied, stumbling out of the car wash, nearly slipping on water and soap suds.

"Oh, hey! How're ya' doing, Steven?" Greg asked

Steven laughed; "I'm great! Oh, Dad, yesterday Connie asked if I wanted to come to her school dance tonight! But Pearl thinks I need some good clothes for it. What should I do?"

Greg smiled, good memories of he and Rose flooded his mind: "Of course! You should go shopping for a nice suit, so you can impress Connie at the dance! I'll give you some money if you need it."

Steven looked surprised; "Really, Dad? Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" he exclaimed, jumping around with a starry look in his eyes.

Greg rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly; "It's no problem. Think of it as an early birthday present or something!"

"Come on, Dad! Let's go right now! Please?" Steven begged

Stevens father grinned; "I have a car wash to run right now! I'll give you some cash and you can ride Lion to the AA (pronounced 'Double-A') Store. You should take Pearl with you too, she's good with fashion things."

The little boy grinned happily, as Greg handed him about fifty dollars.

"Don't spend it all on one place… Actually, DO spend it all on one place! Only use it for your suit, young man! Don't be spending my money on any candy!"

"Okay, thanks Dad!" Steven called over his shoulder as he ran back to the Crystal Temple.

He opened the front door and called for his friend; "Pearl! We have to go somewhere! It's super important!"

Steven hopped onto his pink pet; Lion. Pearl emerged from the house, appearing to be rather tired; "S-Steven? What do you need?" groaned Pearl

Steven motioned for her to sit behind him on Lion; "I need to get a suit for the dance tonight!"

Pearl rolled her eyes; "Steven! This is no time to be worrying about a suit! Garnet, Amethyst, and I have just gotten back from a mission. I'm really tired."

"Oh… I'm sorry, Pearl. Dad said you were good with fashion stuff. I was hoping that maybe you could help me pick out the perfect suit for the dance!"

The Gem sighed and thought to herself; "He does need some good clothes tonight for the dance…"

"Okay, okay. I'll help you find your 'perfect suit'. But I'm certain you could do this yourself!" she said to Steven, jumping onto Lion.

"You're the best, Pearl!" Steven laughed, pointing to Lion the direction that they wanted to head.

"Let's make this quick though. I want to get back to the Temple as soon as possible. Garnet is still worried about some kind of danger."

Steven asked; "Oh… What is going on with that anyways?"

Lion took off in a flash, heading towards the AA Store. Pearl glanced over at the ocean, which was starting to act up as larger waves were crashing onto the sand.

She sighed; "Well, you know how Garnet has her Future Vision, right? She can predict some of the outcomes of what's going to happen in the future. Now, things don't always turn out as predicted, of course. But most of the time, Garnet is right with her predictions. Right now, she's worried about something terrible…"

Steven raised an eyebrow; "What is it? What's she so worked up about?"

"She hasn't said anything specific. It's just… Some sort of ominous danger I guess. Even she's not sure. So I want to get back to the temple as quickly as possible. Just in case something does go wrong." Pearl sighed

Steven nodded. Pearl glanced at Steven worryingly; "He's grown up so fast. Now he's going to go on his first date! Is it a date? I wonder what he thinks of it. I wouldn't want to ask him, I don't want him to get embarrassed about it." She thought

Lion slowed down as they neared the AA store. He skid to a halt in front of the boardwalk shop.

Pearl jumped off and Steven gave Lion a hug before jumping off him as well.

"Stay right there, Lion! We'll be right back!" Steven called to his pink pet as he entered the shop. Lion grunted in response and laid down outside.

The two Gems were instantly greeted by a grinning cashier when they walked in.

"Hey! Welcome to Apparel Accessories! Also known as the AA or Double A store. Do you need anything in particular, ma'am?"

Pearl smiled back; "No, not for me. But for this young boy here." She gestured to Steven "He needs a suit for a dance tonight."

"How great! Well you've come to the right place. Over on our left wall there's some Youth-sized suits that might be able to fit him." The cashier said

Steven walked over to the direction in which the employee gestured, but decided to glance around the store a bit to get some ideas of what he wanted for a suit.

The shop looked very elegant. The walls were mostly whitewashed, but with a pretty, silver tint. There were white and brown shelves pressed against the walls, filled neatly with different size and color dress pants and shoes. There were racks of black and white suits; most were fairly simple and plain. A singular, long, checkout desk was located near the entrance of the store. It looked shiny and made of a dark cherry wood. The desk shimmered in sunlight that poured through the windows near the entrance. It was almost noon.

Steven eagerly searched through the racks of Youth-sized suits after he decided on what he wanted. He saw a few that looked like they'd fit, but most were too big or small.

After about half an hour of searching, the boy finally settled on a white vest, a simple black suit, a red bowtie, and black dress pants.

He carried the heap of clothing to the check-out desk and gave the cashier his money. As the cashier rang up Stevens new suit and accessories, he chimed; "I hope that dance of your goes well sir!"

Steven grinned; "Thanks! I hope so too!"

The cashier neatly folded the clothes and was about to bag them for Steven, but was interrupted by a couple entering the shop. He greeted them politely.

Steven recognized this couple, it was Connie's parents! Steven wondered what they thought of the dance later that night. It was only a few moments until Connie's parents recognized Steven.

Mr. Maheswaran looked surprised; "Why, hello Pearl and Steven! How are you two today?" he asked

Pearl blinked, also surprised; "We're quite well! We were just getting little Steven here a suit!"

Mrs. Maheswaran raised her eyebrows; "That's nice. What's it for?"

"It's for the dance tonight at Connie's school!"

Mr. Maheswaran seemed confused; "There's a dance?"

"Yeah! Connie told me I could go with her to it. She said it would be great! Didn't she tell you guys about it?" Steven asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable

Mr. and Mrs. Maheswarans' jaws dropped. The entire store fell eerily silent. The cashier, held in this awkward situation, glanced back and forth from Stevens' surprised face to the couples enraged looks. He crouched behind the desk, fearing a violent scene might break out.

Mr. Maheswaran ground his teeth angrily for a moment; "What?! Connie never told me about this! What was she thinking! That pushy girl! Why wouldn't she tell us?! Was she thinking about sneaking out tonight? You and her will never see each other ever again!" he growled "What is she thinking?!"

The cashier slowly handed Steven his things, still crouched behind the desk.

Tears started to form in Steven's eyes as he nodded in surprise, and then ran out of the store frantically. Pearl was completely shocked and angered. How dare someone freak out in a store?! Much less a public place, in front of a child! Especially if it wasn't his fault. These were the thoughts running through Pearls mind.

She contemplated throwing a smart and snarky comment to Mr. and Mrs. Maheswaran. But that wouldn't help too much. Pearl silently, but quickly, exited the store.

Steven was slowly climbing on top of Lion. Pearl jumped on as well and helped Steven up. She sighed; "That was strange. I'm so sorry about that. It's not your fault, I promise. They're just mad I suppose."

The Gem looked at her, sniffling a little bit, and nodded. Lion shot off towards the Crystal Temple in the shining afternoon sun.


	3. Chapter 3

**Act Three**

Lion blazed down the board walk with Steven and Pearl on his back. The two Gems hadn't said anything to each other in a few minutes. Pearl assumed Steven did not want to talk, considering the strange incident that happened just minutes before.

She felt a bit bad for him, and she wondered why Connie's parents would act that way. Apparently Connie had not informed her parents of the dance. Pearl knew Mr. and Mrs. Maheswaran were protective of Connie, but she didn't think it'd come to this degree.

Steven had a glum look on his face, his eyes fixed on the ocean near them. Pearl also gave in and watched the ocean massage the shore as well. Lion was almost at their home when Pearl asked; "Are you okay, Steven?"

"Yeah…" Steven replied

Lion arrived at the door of the Crystal Temple and stopped, allowing Pearl and Steven to get off. The two entered the house to see Amethyst eating junk food in the kitchen. She greeted them with her mouth full; "Heeeeey Steven! How did it go? Did you find a suit?" Amethyst asked

"I guess so." He replied, giving the bag of new clothes over to Amethyst. The purple Gem rummaged through the contents of the bag; "Not bad, not bad! What's with the sad face though?"

Steven sighed; "Connie's parents were at the shop too. I guess Connie didn't tell them about the dance tonight. They got mad and yelled at me…"

Amethyst raised her eyebrow; "Really? Dude, that's harsh."

Steven didn't respond, he just went upstairs to his room. He stuffed the bag of new clothes under his bed and sighed. He flopped onto his bed with Lion doing the same. Lion stretched out and Steven lay against him, picking up a video game controller and started to play a game. Pearl assumed he was attempting to forget about the situation.

An hour or two passed. Nothing special happened. Garnet was on a mission, Amethyst and Pearl were conversing, and Steven was still playing videogames. He felt a little bit better.

RING….RING….RING!

Steven's cellphone began to ring. He paused his game and grabbed his phone.

"Connie's calling?" Steven thought as he read his screen "I wonder if she got yelled at yet…"

He tapped the 'Answer' button. "Hey, Connie." Steven said into the phone

There were a few moments of silence coming from the other side, followed by light growling.

"Umm… Connie?"

"Sorry, Steven! The signal broke for a moment. That was strange… And I'm sorry about earlier too! It's my entire fault." Connie said "I forgot to tell my parents about the dance!"

"It's okay! I'm not even good at dancing anyways. Have they grounded you or something?" Steven replied

Connie coughed, and then there was silence for a few moments. A light mumbling voice could be heard on Connie's side of the call.

"Hold on…" she whispered "My parents want me for a second. Don't hang up! It'll only be a few moments."

"Oh... O-okay" Steven gulped. "I hope she doesn't get in too big of trouble..." he thought

Crackling noise came from the other side, and light mumbling again.

Steven looked out of the window of his bedroom. The sun was still burning and bright. He assumed that it must be around 2 o'clock in the afternoon. He opened the window, and a nice fresh breeze came in. Smells of hot dogs, corn dogs, fries, and the salty ocean flooded the house.

Connie came on the phone again; "Steven! My parents say we can go to the dance tonight! They apologize for yelling at you earlier too."

The young Gem grinned; "Woohoo! Tell your parents they're awesome!"

Connie giggled; "Okay, okay! Meet me at the school at 5 o'clock. It'll be a lot of fun! Bye!" she then hung up

Steven jumped up and down on his bed hollering and whooping excitedly. Lion, now awake, grunted and crawled off the bed. Steven ran down the stairs and shouted; "Pearl! Connie just called and said that her parents wanted to apologize about earlier. She said that we can still go to the dance!"

Pearl gasped and then smiled; "That's wonderful, Steven! What made them change their mind?"

"I dunno, but as long as I get to go, I don't care!" Steven replied

"What time's it gonna be at?" Amethyst asked

Steven laughed, still excited; "Connie told me to meet her at her school at 5 in the evening"

Amethyst and Pearl glanced at the clock; it was about 2:30.

"Ehh, you've got time!" she said

"Amethyst! Don't corrupt Steven with your laziness!" Pearl huffed, and then she turned to Steven: "You should start to get ready soon. It'll take some time to get into town and get to Connie's school, even with Lion. And you need to get freshened up, brush your hair… Oh! And your suit too!"

"Okay!" Steven said, scrambling away excitedly to get ready.

Pearl sighed; "I hope everything will go well…"

"Ah, don't worry, P. It'll be fine as long as he doesn't do anything too stupid. Like showing off. Or destroying a carnival ride… Or maybe getting stuck in the ball pit again."

"I suppose"

However, Pearl was still worried. She acted like a mother to Steven, since she was very close to Rose. She observed the room; the main room was fairly clean. The kitchen area was rather messy, however. Bags of chips and candy wrappers were scattered on the counter and floor (mostly because of Amethyst). This came as no surprise though, as Amethyst was typically messy. It bothered Pearl slightly, but she decided that there were more important things to focus on at the moment.

Steven came out of the bathroom with his suit on. He had clipped his red bowtie to the collar of his suit to add a personal, artistic touch to the plain suit.

Pearl couldn't help but to smile; "You look adorable, Steven! Now, should we do something about your hair?"

He grinned and shrugged; "Nah, I like it how it is. What time is it now?" he asked

Amethyst chuckled and ruffled Stevens hair; "It's in two hours! Just chill, little dude." She said, with a mouthful of potato chips.

Steven glanced at the clock; it was almost 3:00. He giggled; "Sweet! I'm gonna play videogames until then!" he shouted, running up the stairs to his room again.

The warp portal lit up and a blue light engulfed the room. Garnet stepped off it and greeted the other Gems; "I'm back. Did anything happen?" she asked

Pearl spoke up; "Um... Well, Steven and I went to a shop to get his dress clothes for the dance. Connie's parents happened to be there too. Apparently Connie didn't tell them about the dance and they were angry. Then when we got home, Connie called and said everything was okay. I suppose it was just a misunderstanding? I'm not sure. It was strange."

"As long as Steven is happy and safe, that's all that matters. Let\s just wait until it comes time for the dance." Garnet replied, a strong, but worried, tone in her voice.


	4. Chapter 4

**Act Four**

It was exactly 4:45 in the evening. The sun was still bright and warm like a blanket. The sky was a baby blue color and there were very few clouds. Birds chirped and the smell of food from the boardwalk was still reminiscent in the house.

Steven rushed down the stairs while spraying a massive amount of (last minute) cologne on.

"Bye Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst! Wish me luck!"

The Gems waved goodbye; "Don't go anywhere else, stay at the school." Garnet ordered

"Don't worry!" Steven called back, running out the door. Lion was waiting for him outside Steven leapt onto Lion and sped off.

STEVEN P.O.V

The day was nice, and still warm! I was riding on Lion towards Connie's school for the dance. It was pretty cool! The breeze was light and sweet. Secretly… I think I have a crush on Connie. I don't know why. I just feel good when I'm around her, and butterflies in my stomach. I get embarrassed around her a lot. Just thinking about it makes me blush.

I'm almost certain she doesn't like me back though. I mean… _Like me,_ like me. It's hard to explain. Oh well.

Lion ran down the beach as fast as lightning. Other kids played on the beach and in the water as we dashed by. I giggled and hoped the dance would be exciting.

It took about 20 minutes, but we eventually arrived at the school. I was a little late, but not that much. The main doors to the school were wide open. Eccentric Lights streamed out of the doors and music echoed out into the courtyard where I arrived with Lion.

Kids were swarming the doors, pushing to go into the school. Couples were holding hands, groups of friends were conversing, and single students eating snacks. I started to feel nervous and sweaty. Kids started awkwardly at Lion and I. I hopped off Lion and told him to wait outside for me.

Connie was waiting near the doors for me. She looked at her phone and saw me; "Hey Steven!" she said, giving me a hug.

"What's up Connie?" I asked, hugging her back "You look nice today! I really like your dress!"

Connie blushed; "Really? Thanks! You look nice too."

She had a white dress with ruffled sleeves and ruffles at the bottom of the dress as well. It was about knee-length. It sparkled too!

"So…" she started "Do you wanna go inside?"

"O-oh yeah!" I stuttered. I was pretty nervous about everything. I tugged at my collar as Connie led me into her school. We wandered through a maze of hallways, asking each other how we've been and stuff. She didn't mention the situation with her parents, though. And neither did I.

We finally arrived at the large lunchroom, where the official dancing was held. There was a small stage in the middle, about a foot off the ground. The entire floor of the lunch room was made of simple tile. However the stage in the center looked like wood, and it looked like it could be moved too.

Connie saw it as well; "A mobile dance stage? That's neat."

I smiled and nodded. The walls of the lunchroom were a plain whitewashed concrete. There were lunch tables along the walls serving drinks and food, especially hotdogs! That got me hungry.

We walked to an empty table where we sat down. She had taken some stuff with her, and she unloaded it onto the table.

"What'd you bring?" I asked. It appeared to be a purse, and next to that was a small gift bag.

"Well that's my purse. My mom made me take it, but I don't really like it. It's too much of a hassle. And that thing…" she said, pointing to the small gift bag "…Is a present for you! It's not much, but I know you'll like it!"

"Really? Cool!" I exclaimed, grabbing the bag and taking its' contents out. I gasped; it was a comic book I had wanted for quite a while. "'Duronto Volume 1'! How did you know I wanted that?"

Connie laughed; "You've talked about it so much! Especially yesterday when you were at my house."

"Oh yeah… Thanks Connie!" I giggled, then gave her a hug.

She blushed and hugged back. It was a cute, short hug. I think Connie liked it too. After it ended, she blushed more, looking at the ground and smiled (obviously flustered). Then she said; "Well… Should I go get some food for us?"

"Huh? Oh, no. I'll get everything! What do you want?" I replied, trying to be as noble as possible.

"Okay! I'll probably just have some lemonade for now, thank you." Connie said, smiling and sitting back down at the table.

I set the comic book back down on the table and walked off towards the beverage-serving stand with cash in hand. There was a little bit of a line, but it was okay. There were several kids waiting to get drinks. Then, I noticed somebody.

"Sadie?" I called out

She was working at the stand, serving lemonade and soda to the kids. I eventually approached the front of the line. Sadie finally noticed me.

"Hey Steven! I didn't know you'd be at this dance! Who'd you come with?" she asked

I laughed and rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly; "Oh, I'm just here with my friend! She invited me to come." I replied, then tried to change the subject; "Why are _you_ here?" I asked

Sadie didn't relent; "Ohh, she invited you, huh? That's nice of her. But it sounds like a date to me!" she joked

I blushed furiously and my throat went dry, reminding me that I came to get drinks; "Anyways, I want two lemonades please." I said

Sadie nodded and poured some store-bought lemonade into two small plastic cups; "Sure. I needed some volunteer hours for school. Plus, I was bored. So this school offered a volunteering spot handling soda here, and I took it! I guess it's been fun so far. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed though, there's so many kids here!" Sadie laughed

She gave me the two cups of lemonade, and I handed her a few dollars. A long line was starting to form behind me, since Sadie and I had been talking for a few minutes.

"Well, hopefully you'll have a fun time volunteering here! I'm gonna go back to my table now, Connie is probably waiting for me." I remarked, walking away.

Sadie laughed; "Alright, Steven! Bye! I'll talk to you later."

I paced back to the table slowly, as to not spill anything. Connie was on her phone when I placed the cups on the table. It was kind of strange. Connie isn't usually on her phone a lot. Frankly she usually stays away from it.

I didn't say anything about it though. Maybe she had just gotten addicted to another videogame app. Or maybe she was just bored of being here? I was nervous at the thought. What if she is bored of me? Maybe I should do something to entertain her! That'll be good. The words of Sadie came to mind. I tried to reason with it. "Well… Maybe it is like a date, like Sadie said. Even if it isn't, I can still be a gentleman!" I thought

Connie looked up at me; "You know, you can sit down now Steven." She giggled

I laughed and sat down, grinning at my new idea. Now I was in 'Gentleman Mode', and ready to impress Connie. I blurted the first thing that came to mind; "You look nice this evening!"

Connie, taken aback by my sudden statement, said nothing for a few awkward moments. Then she blushed and quickly looked away, smiling cutely;

"I guess so, you since already that that earlier! Anyways, you look nice too." She said

I laughed nervously; "Thanks. I got this suit just today with Pearl!" then I remembered the incident with Connie's parents at the shop; "Well, with your parents too…"

Connie's smile faded; "Yeah…Sorry about that. My parents were super mad at me that I didn't tell them about the dance. But then I assured them that it was just a mistake of mine and that I just forgot. I also told them that if I could go to this dance I'd get A's in all my classes and complete all of my homework. I promised that I'd read more educational books than 'Dogcopter' and 'Unfamiliar Familiar'. That's when they finally agreed to let me go here!" she laughed "I think I'm gonna miss Dogcopter though… I'll have to read it in secret, or just watch the movies."

I was shocked; "You gave up Dogcopter?! Just for a dance?" I gasped

She shrugged "Yeah." Then she looked and smiled at me; "I think it's worth it though! This is gonna be fun!"

I blushed nervously; "Totally! Do you want any food?"

Connie smiled more, and was about to say something but was interrupted by the DJ.

He hadn't spoken much the entire time. I had almost forgotten that he existed. He tapped on his microphone a few times to make sure it was working, then grinned and addressed the crowd.

"Hey, hey, hey ladies and gents! It's time for the loud bass and beats to go, and for the slow dance to waltz right in! That's right; it's time to get romantic with your sweetheart. Let the slow dancing commence!"

The lights dimmed and changed color. The left side of the cafeterias lights changed to a baby blue color while the lights on the right side changed to a soft, light pink. The DJ fumbled around trying to find the perfect song. At last, he found something and it began to play. It was some kind of classical, instrumental, slow song that was perfect to dance to.

Couples poured onto the dance floor, most of them looking like they had done it before. I started to become a little embarrassed, since I never had danced before. I worried that if I asked Connie to dance, I'd mess up somehow. Connie was a bit fidgety; she was probably just as freaked out as I was.

This was the moment. I had to do it. After nights of dreaming of it, it was finally going to come true. I was going to ask Connie to slow dance with me.

I tugged at my collar and stood up. I gulped and extended my arm towards Connie; "Umm..W-would you… Do you wanna dance?" I asked her

She looked at me and smiled; "O-of course!" she blurted excitedly

We both blushed a tremendous amount as she took my hand and we walked to the dance floor.

"I…I'm not that good at dancing!" Connie blurted nervously

"Neither am I. But we'll do just fine, I promise." I replied, smiling reassuringly at her

She smiled back, looking less worried.

Our fingers laced together as she put her other hand on my shoulder. I put my arm around her waist. The music stirred my feelings that I had for her up again, even more than usual. My heart was ablaze, as if gasoline had been added to it. My emotions of love and euphoria burned fiercely. We locked gazes, romantically. I tried really hard to keep cool, but I was feeling like I was gonna have a heart attack.

I bet my face was as red as a tomato. Heat spread through my face, I could feel myself blushing intensely.

Dancing at first was extremely awkward and difficult. Not to mention embarrassing! We would accidently step on each other's shoes or bump into other people. But after another song or two, we started to actually get the hang of it. One more slow song played, and then the slow dancing was over.

The techno music came back and the lights went back to flickering and panning side-to-side like strobe lights. Connie and I let go of each other and walked back to our table, still adorably blushing. We had a few sips of lemonade in an awkward silence.

"You know…" Connie started "that was pretty fun! I think we did well!"

I grinned, pleased that Connie liked dancing with me; "You did well too! I really liked dancing!"

She smiled and laughed. We talked about 'Duronto' and 'Dogcopter' while music blared throughout the school, but we didn't dance anymore after the slow dancing. I wondered what else she thought of the dance. I wondered if Connie returned these feelings that I had for her. We ate a few snacks that Connie brought and chatted for about an hour.

I glanced at my gift from her, it was pretty nice of her to think of me and get me a present! I wished that I bought her some sort of gift.

Then, I came up with an idea! I could take her out to a diner or something. Somewhere romantic! But I didn't have a lot of money left on me… So I scrapped that idea.

Suddenly, a new idea came to mind. There was a spot on a hill about a mile away from the Crystal Temple that Amethyst and I had found last week. It had an amazing view of the ocean and the horizon. So I assumed it'd make a good place to sit with Connie and watch the ocean. Connie loves natural scenery! She always talks about "admiring the beauty".

My plan was set. I'd take her out to the spot! But didn't Garnet say something about staying at the school? I couldn't remember exactly what she said. I wouldn't want to disobey Garnet… But we'll only be gone for a short time. I was reassured that what I was doing was safe.

"Hey, Connie?" I asked

"Yeah?"

"Well, since you got me a present," I continued "I want to do something for you too!"

She picked up her head and her eyes slightly widened in mystery. "What do you wanna do?" she asked

"I wanted to take you to someplace special! It's a surprise though!" I chimed

Connie cleared her throat; "Well, I'm not sure if I should really leave the school dance… I might get into trouble. But as long as it's not too far I guess I can risk it."

I laughed; "Awesome!" I grabbed Connie's hand and led her out of the school. Lion was still waiting outside for me. When he saw us, he grunted and stood up.

"Good Lion." I told him, petting his mane and hopping onto his back. I helped Connie up, and Lion sped off in the direction I pointed.

The sun was setting in the west, and the moon was rising over the ocean. The horizon was still light however, with the white moon hiding behind it. Lion blazed past the Temple. His claws dug into the sand and kicked it back up. The air was starting to get a little chilly, but still warm. Maybe about 70 degrees or so.

"How long until we get there?" Connie questioned, getting a little bit worried.

"We'll get there really soon! Now close your eyes for the surprise! You wouldn't want to spoil it."

She giggled and closed her eyes; "Alright, alright."

Lion stopped at the top of the hill, otherwise known as "The Spot". The view was as beautiful as ever. I hopped off of Lion and helped Connie get off as well. I was really excited and nervous. I shouldn't be here right now… Oh well. It's for Connie!

"Well, we're here now. You can open your eyes!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Act Five**

CONNIE P.O.V

I opened my eyes as Steven commanded me to. I gasped. We were standing on top of a hill that overlooked the vast, sparking ocean. Maybe 50 feet or so above the ocean. Still a breathtaking sight nonetheless. The moon began to rise fully over the horizon, but it was still lightly covered up by a thin sheet of cloud.

Cool, dark colors were spread across the sky, complimented by the white shimmering of the ocean. The air was still warm, and several birds were still chirping back and forth with each other.

I started to wonder how Steven knew that I liked to watch the ocean. Then I recalled telling him once that I signed up for a bird watching club just to have the excuse of admiring scenery outside without looking like a weirdo. I was surprised he remembered that for so long.

"So do you like it?" he asked, smiling euphorically

I turned to him, beaming; "Of course! It's beautiful!"

"Woohoo!" he cheered and then sat down on the grass beneath him. He patted the space next to him, signaling me to sit by him. I shrugged and sat down next to him, still smiling.

The view was simply romantic. The ocean still glistened gently as the moon began to stand up above it. We sat there, falling in love with natures' picture-perfect scene for about half an hour, silently.

It wasn't an awkward silence however, but the graceful silence of patient admirers. Of course, there were occasional cricket chirps and Lion snores. But it was still amazing. I pondered if Steven felt the same way about me that I felt about him. I suppose he must if he mustered up the courage to ask me to dance with him. I blushed at the thought. I had a crush on him ever since I first met him. I remember the first day that we talked. Ever since then we've been best friends. We hang out a lot, but this different. Perhaps he does like me!

"This is nice." I said calmly

Steven looked at me; "Cool! I think so too. I found this place with Amethyst last week. I knew you'd like it!"

Lion grunted and scooted up against us. Steven petted him and leaned back, resting on him, and I did the same. It's surprising how soft Lion's mane was. It was like a pillow!

Steven stretched out and put his hands behind his head; "The stars are really bright tonight." He said, pointing to the sky

Night had fallen fast. The sky was dark blue and the ocean seemed like an inky black. Stars shone and gleamed against the night sky. The moon was full and bright.

"Yeah! It's pretty cool. It looks nice." I responded

I remembered about my parents just then. I wish I could call them but something went wrong with my phone. Maybe it's because it's really old or maybe the signal was bad, but my phone kept freezing and going to static, even more than earlier when I called Steven. It was really weird, since my phone is usually pretty reliable.

"I think I might have to go home soon Steven. It's getting kind of late. My parents are probably worried about me." I coughed

Steven's smile melted; "Oh… I guess so. I should probably get going soon too. Did your parents call you?"

"Well, no. My phone's been freaking out today. I don't know what it is but I can't call them, and it doesn't look like they can call me either. But you know my parents; they want me home before dark." I replied

"Oh, that sucks!" Steven whined "I have something else to give you before you leave though!"

I giggled; "Okay, okay. What is it?"

He grinned again; "You'll have to close your eyes again!"

"Fine" I retorted. Inside I was freaking out, is he going to kiss me?

I closed my eyes. I heard Steven giggle and then felt something warm press against my cheek. I opened my eyes and blushed, and then his my face in Lions pink fur. It had happened. Steven Universe had just kissed me on the cheek. Oh my goodness.

"Connie? Are you okay? I'm so sorry! I… I just… I'm sorry." Steven exclaimed

I looked back up at him, confused; I guess he thought I didn't like the kiss. I felt a bit bad for him.

"What? No, it's okay! I… I liked it actually." I chuckled playfully, still embarrassed

His eyes widened in surprise; "Really? Are—" Steven stopped talking.

A loud roar of thunder split the air fiercely. The feeling of dread and the rush of adrenaline swept through us. Everything around me darkened. Pitch black clouds blanketed the moon, consuming its' light. It swallowed the stars next, until there was no starlight to reflect off the ocean.

A strange, terrifying, horrible feeling panged in my stomach, like a sense of terror and unknown fear.

"What's going on, Steven?" I panicked "Is this some kind of magical Gem thing?"

Steven seemed to feel this wave of dread as well, he seemed freaked out.

"I… I don't know! I have no idea!"

I could barely see Steven in this darkness, and he was only a few feet away. Lion's ears perked up as he stood up. He forced Steven and I behind him, as if to protect us from something. He started to glare into the darkness before us and growled, seemingly at nothing.

"S-Steven? I'm worried…" I whispered

"Shh." He responded "It'll be okay. Just stay behind Lion and I"

There was a serious, but worried, tone in his voice. I nodded and hid behind him.

The winds picked up, until they howled at extreme speeds. Shrubs were being ripped out of the ground and tree branches torn off as if they were twigs. The waves crashed onto the shore so fiercely it was almost deafening. Sand, shrubs, and discarded object that the waves couldn't normally reach were being pounded upon and then dragged back into the ocean. Lion growled at the ominous force louder.

"Steven! We need to get out—" I was interrupted by the sky crackling for a moment, and then sending down a huge, blue bolt of lightning, that touched the ground only 10 yards away from us. The blast of lightning was so great it knocked Steven and I to the dirt. I screamed in fright, but I didn't hear anything. There was a horrible ringing in my ears for a few minutes. I clung to Steven and whimpered.

He looked at me and said something, with a terrified expression on his face, but I heard nothing.

When my hearing did come back, the first thing I heard was a cackling laughter that seemed to come from nowhere. Lion was now barking furiously.

The ghostly laughing stopped after a few moments, and then a voice spoke;

"Rose Quartz Gem! Surrender yourself to me now or face my wrath!"

Steven was silent for a few seconds, then responded; "I...I…I No! Leave us alone!"

It laughed again; "Of course, Quartz."

Something appeared out of the shadows. Lion continued to bark and growl. It looked like something out of a mythology book. The thing had two dog heads, each decorated with Egyptian-like symbols and tattoos. It had the torso of a man, but from the waist down it had the body of a serpent that looked like it could swallow an entire person and not show a bulge. It must be some sort of Gem monster that Steven's always talking about.

"What are you?!" I yelled at it, picking up a rock and hurling it at the monster.

It extended its paw-arm out, chuckling. Its paw glowed, and when the rock that I threw came close to it, a small lightning bolt shot out of its paw and struck the rock. The rock instantly exploded and the left head snarled; "We are Electrum. We have come to destroy the Rose Quartz Gem."


	6. Chapter 6

**Act Six**

STEVEN P.O.V

"I'm not Rose Quartz!" Steven shouted "She doesn't even exist anymore! She's gone!"

Electrum glared with both of its heads eyes;

"Nonsense, fool. You are the Rose Quartz Gem. _You_ were the one who banished me off this galaxy and sapped all of my power away for two-hundred years! Remember me now? I didn't look like this. I wasn't a monster. Gold and I were simply ambassadors for the Metal race, coming to make a treaty with the filthy Gems of Earth. I didn't do anything to you, but you attacked us and banished us! That's when we realized that my Metal comrades were right, Gems are evil. So in this fused form, I've come back to take revenge on you Rose. Isn't that correct, Gold?" one of the heads explained

The other head grinned; "Why, yes, Silver."

They extended their arm once again, and their paw glowed, firing another lightning bolt at Lion.

Lion roared and deflected it with his sonic boom.

I turned to Steven; "Metals? Steven, what is he talking about?! What are we gonna do?" I frantically whispered

Steven was focused on Electrum; "Connie. Get out of here while he's distracted by Lion. Now! Run!"

I glanced at Steven, then to Lion, and then to Electrum. I coughed and nodded. I took and running start towards the boardwalk in almost complete darkness. It was only occasionally illuminated by lightning bolts from Electrum.

Then, one of its paws rose up to its throat and pulled an axe out, the way a Gem would summon her weapon. The two heads grinned, and grabbed the axe with both of its paws. Electrum slowly slithered towards Lion and raised the axe over its head.

Lion lunged towards Electrum, aiming at Silvers vulnerable neck. Silver and Gold snarled in unison and hit Lion back with its battle axe. With its free paw, it reached up to Gold's neck and summoned a large, square shield.

Lion stood up and used his sonic boom roar, but Electrum deflected it with the shield back at Lion.

He flew back a few feet due to the impact of his backfired sonic boom roar, but he got back up and lunged towards the Metal fusion again.

Gold's head growled and swung the battle axe again, this time, directly hitting Lion directly in the chest. Steven watched in horror as his pet tumbled down the hill.

I started to slow down. I wasn't about to let Steven fight this beast all on his own. I stopped running and looked back at Steven, who was probably about 60 feet away.

The moon shone through the storm clouds for a brief moment. The moonlight illuminated Steven. He was standing there, frozen. His fists were tightly balled up and tears welled up in his eyes. He started at the ground, with an angry expression on his face.

The two heads of Electrum, Silver and Gold, showed evil, toothy smiles. They put their arms at their side, with their weapons still in hand.

Silver cocked his eyebrow and laughed; "Awww… What's wrong, Quartz? Too weak to defend your pet? Oh boo hoo. Are you gonna banish us again? Come on, banish me? Sap my power like you did before! Are you brave enough now?"

Electrum slithered up to Steven and Silver's head growled.

"Ha! Just as I thought. You can only pick on people weaker than you, coward. You deserve to be destroyed by us."

There was absolute for a few long seconds, as if the Earth stood still. Steven looked angrily at the ground. Electrum slowly started to grip his battle axe, preparing to strike.

Steven suddenly looked up at Electrum and swung his fist, striking Gold in the muzzle. The punch didn't appear to do much damage to Electrum, but it did infuriate them even more.

The two heads barked and snarled furiously, quickly raising the axe over his head.

"You little punk!" they shouted, spitting acidic green saliva everywhere. When it touched the ground, it melted the dirt and sizzled into the earth. "You'll pay for that Rose Quartz!"

They brought the axe down with great might. Steven yelped and jumped out of the way before the slow, heavy axe could touch him. The axe hit the ground and sent a thunderous ripple through the ground. Sparks and beams of electricity ran through the enraged beast.

They picked the axe up again with an insane look in their eyes. Electrum swung the weapon horizontally with a roar. Steven fell onto his backside, dodging the axe again, and slowly crawled away from Electrum. The beast's second miss with the huge axe seemed to anger it even more; "You scum! You little slime!" it shouted

In a frenzy, Electrum swung wildly in the direction of Steven, missing his several times. I had never seen Steven so terrified before.

Electrum began to slow down, then one of the heads snarled; "Fine! If I can destroy you right now, I'll kill your friend! Now where did she go?"

I froze in fear; I knew this wasn't going to end well. The beast spotted me and laughed; "Hey! Catch!" It hurled the axe as if it were a Frisbee.

"Connie! Run!" Steven shouted to me

It was too late however. The blunt side of the axe hit me in the stomach, sending me back several feet. Pain exploded through my body as I hit the ground. I instantly curled into a ball and whimpered in pain.

Electrum laughed harder in success, laughing at my pain. Steven ran over to me; "Connie!? I'm so sorry… This is completely my fault! I didn't want this to happen."

A more serious look crossed his face; "No… This is not my fault. It's Electrums fault!" he shouted

Electrum was still laughing hysterically as Steven marched over to him. Lion limped over to Steven. The pink pet collapsed in front of him and his forehead glowed. Steven gasped and petted Lions mane. The handle of Rose Quartz's sword came out of Lions forehead. Steven pulled it out and faced Electrum.

The beast stopped laughing and summoned another axe; "You think you can beat me?" Electrum sneered "You must be very confident."

They swung the axe vertically again with great force. Steven said nothing as he dodged the attack and then counterattacked with Rose Quartz's sword. He seemed to mimic Pearl's style of sword fighting, with lots of parries and quick jabs.

The two weapons collided several times, expelling a harsh metal-on-metal sound. Steven was nicked a few times by close encounters with the edge of the axe, but nothing terrible. After about a minute or two of dodging, jabbing, and slashing, Steven finally made a hit.

He cut a small gash into Electrum's serpent body with the tip of the sword. A small stream of yellow 'blood' trickled out of the monster. However, it just seemed to make it angrier.

"How dare you!?" they growled in unison again

Steven seemed unwavering, as a serious, determined look was printed onto his face; "Give up, Electrum." Steven said, intimidatingly "Crawl back into your galaxy. You're no match for me."

I could tell by the small amount of unsure shakiness in his voice that he knew he wouldn't be able to actually beat Electrum. However, the Metal fusion seemed fooled for a mere moment.

"I….I….I" Electrum stuttered, in surprise "No… You can't beat a fusion! It's impossible! But… I…No!"

Electrum thrust his shield at Steven, knocking him to the ground. They slid over to him, both heads glaring at Steven in disgust.

"I am a fusion. You will never beat me. And now, I will destroy you and the rest of your army, Rose Quartz."

Electrum sparked, more electrical currents jumped across its body. The wind still howled, even more than before. Lightning struck down several times, hitting trees, shrubs, grass, and anything else the lightning could get its long fingers on. A nearby tree suddenly burst into flame after a bolt of lightning struck it. It soon caught onto everything. The fire quickly spread down the tree and to the dry grass and other trees. I still writhed in pain from when Electrum threw the axe at me.

Electrum didn't seem to care about the inferno blazing around him and Steven. He looked up at Electrum in terror. It raised the axe over its head, glaring unforgivingly at Steven.

All hope seemed lost. The fire blazed, now getting hotter by the second. Lion laid in pain about 20 feet from Steven.

Suddenly, a blue familiar spear flew past Electrum as they were about to bring their axe down. A purple whip, decorated with stones, wrapped around Silver's neck and dragged them a few feet away from Steven.

The heroic Crystal Gems emerged from the fire, smoke, and darkness. Garnet snatched up Steven and leapt over to me.

"Steven!" she said angrily "Why are you here?"

"I'm sorry Garnet! I just…" Steven replied

Garnet shook her head; "Never mind, just heal Connie, and fast! Pearl, Amethyst, and I have to fight this… Thing. Go back to the Temple after you heal her!"

She leapt away to battle Electrum as Steven turned to me; "Connie!? Are you okay?"

I held my stomach and groaned, I was in too much pain to speak.

"I… I'm so sorry Connie." He said

"Heal her!" Garnet shouted to Steven "You two need to get back to the Temple!"

Steven nodded and turned back to me; "Connie, I think I know what I need to do. It might feel a little awkward though. But it'll be okay!"

I nodded slowly, ready to do anything to get rid of the pain burning through my body.

"Okay…" he said, and started to blush "I never thought I'd have to do this but..."

He knelt down next to me and touched his forehead against. His pink Gem glowed as he looked into my eyes and smiled, still blushing. We stayed like that for a few seconds, as we ignored the carnage going on around us.

"Are you ready?" he asked

I nodded again.

Steven pressed his lips against mine. The pain in my rib cage and stomach was instantly healed. I felt one-hundred percent better. I looked at him and blushed madly.

His lips left mine, and we stood up. Steven pulled me closer and gave me a hug. He seemed really nervous and tense, but it was cute. I looked over to the other scene on top of the hill. The Gems were still struggling to battle Electrum. The beast growled and roared, swinging its axe wildly at the Gems.

"Are you okay now?" Steven inquired, sounding very worried

I smiled and nodded, giving him another hug.

"Yeah. I'm good now, I can't thank you enough!"

He sighed in relief; "Good…"

Garnet shouted at us from the top of the hill; "Kids! Get out of here! I'll take care of Lion. You two go back now to the Crystal Temple!

We nodded, not wanting to stay here any longer. I grabbed Steven's arm and made a dash to Steven's house in the fiery darkness. Only with singed grass and blue lightning, Steven and I raced to get away from the battle.


	7. Chapter 7

**Act Seven**

STEVEN P.O.V

I was woken up by a phone ringing. I checked to see if it was mine, but it wasn't. The phone just kept ringing and ringing, for about half an hour. I looked everywhere for the thing that was making the noise. Maybe it was some kind of toy or game that broke or fried? I couldn't find the Gems either.

Then, everything came back to me. The dance, Connie, Electrum, fire, swords, the battle, the Gems…

Gems… Were the Gems okay? I looked outside; it was sunny and normal, as if nothing bad had just happened a few hours ago. I frantically looked around for Connie and Lion.

Lion was at the foot of my bed, sleeping. Maybe it was just a dream? No… It couldn't be! I looked down towards the living room. Connie was crashed on the couch, with some of her hair singed and dress burnt.

I looked back at Lion and examined him closely. He had several wounds and patches of burnt fur. It wasn't a dream! I had ready kissed Connie last night! I mean, I had also disobeyed the Gems by not staying at the school and almost getting killed by an insane animal-serpent-wolf alien. But I got to dance with Connie!

She was still asleep, snoring lightly. At least we made it back to the Temple safely.

The phone (or whatever) rang again, and I noticed it was coming from purse downstairs. I ran down and grabbed the phone from her purse; I was too late to answer though. The cellphone said the call was coming from Connie's mom. As in, "99 Missed Calls From Mom".

What on Earth would possess someone to call 99 times? Even for Connie's mom, once or twice is enough. Then I remembered Connie telling me that she had to be home by 7:30 yesterday. That was twelve hours ago! No wonder they're freaking out! Connie wa supposed to be home twelve hours ago!

Just then, the battery died, completely shutting down the phone. I guess Connie's mom won't get a hold of us anytime soon.

Lion and Connie were still fast asleep as I changed into fresh clothes and grabbed a snack from the kitchen. The front door creaked open, and then Pearl and Garnet stepped in the house. They had several burns and miscellaneous wounds. I ran over to them; "Pearl! Garnet! What happened?"

Garnet said nothing, and Pearl just sighed and walked over to the couch where Connie was sleeping.

"That thing… That was Electrum, Gold and Silver fused together…" Pearl muttered "They're Metals. They didn't have a very good relationship with your mother, Rose Quartz. But… Anyways, are you okay?"

I looked down at myself, examining my arms and legs; "I think so… But why was that Metal attacking me? What is a Metal anyways?" I asked

Pearl brushed a strand of Connie's hair out of her face. She meticulously looked over Connies face and arms for wounds as she responded; "…Metals are an alien race, much like Gems. They're different though, obviously. But Metals and Gems still have a lot of similar qualities. Still, I never thought I'd never see Gold and Silver again…"

Garnet sighed and looked at me; "I knew this was going to happen… Why did you go to the hill? Why couldn't you just listen to me and stay at the school?"

I bit my lip; "I'm sorry Garnet. I know I shouldn't have."

"I suppose it's alright now. Our biggest concern is Electrum, and he's gone now."

"Did I... Attract him somehow? Was it my fault that he came here?" I questioned nervously

"Sort of. But it wasn't your fault. Metals are capable of tracking down anything with their sense of smell or sight, like a dog, but better. And since you were outside instead of in the school, Electrum tracked you down quicker. Although, they would've found you eventually."

"Why did they think I was my mom? What did my mom do to them?"

Garnet looked down and Connie rolled over slowly on the couch.

Pearl spoke up; "Your mother always tried to protect us as best as she could. Gold and Silver came to make peace with us Crystal Gems of earth. Rose was suspicious of them, and she questioned their trustworthiness. Gold and Silver tried to prove that they were being honest in their peace treaty. But Rose still considered them a threat to us, and the Metals were offended by this. Metalkind has a reputation for violence and breaking promises. "

Garnet interrupted; "That day, we had intercepted a message that was from the Homeworld Metals to Silver and Gold, telling them to attack if we denied the peace treaty."

"Yes. Fortunately, before Silver and Gold could do anything, Rose sapped all their power and banished them to a faraway planet. And this was about two-hundred years ago." Pearl continued "I thought it would take them longer to regenerate."

I looked at Pearl, frightened; "Well, now that you've beat them again, how long will it take them to come back?"

Pearl sighed; "I'm not sure Steven. But they'll be back. Now that you have the Rose Quartz Gem, they'll be hunting for _you_."

"What?! I don't want an insane animal alien trying to kill me! Why didn't you banish them again or destroy them again?"

"Steven…" Amethyst groaned as she slowly walked through the front door and slumped on the couch. "Believe me, we tried. We beat them until they unfused, but then they both got away. I was trying to hunt them down, but they must have gone back into space. I couldn't find them anywhere. I guess Pearl _was_ right, ugh." Amethyst grumbled

Pearl huffed; "I told you they'd be gone, Amethyst! They're obviously bot just going to hang out on Earth while they know we're hunting them. They probably had enough energy to escape off of Earth. I wouldn't be surprised if they were past the moon by now…"

"Hey! At least I tried to chase those stupid Metals! You and Garnet just gave up!" Amethyst retorted

Pearl clenched her teeth at the purple Gem in frustration; "We needed to go back to Steven and his friend to make sure they were okay!"

Garnet stepped between the two fighting Gems; "Hush. I hear something…" she whispered; "Keep quiet."

Pearl and Amethyst paused their argument, and the whole house went silent for a moment. My smartphone was ringing.

"Oh! It's just my phone. I'll get it!" I said, running up the stairs to my room. I snatched my phone off of the nightstand and answered it, with the Gems watching and listening carefully.

I put the phone up to my ear; "Hey, this is Steven!"

"STEVEN!" a familiar voice barked; "Where are you?! Where is Connie?! Where are your guardians? I hope you get into big trouble, child!"

"Mister Maheswaran?! I'm so sorry! Connie and I are at the house! You don't understand, I—I mean we—"

"Is Connie safe? Let me talk to her! Please!" Connie's dad frantically pleaded

"O-okay! Yeah! Hold on." I said, rushing back down the stairs to Connie. The Gems exchanged glances.

Connie slowly started to awaken. She rubbed her eyes and rolled onto her side as she took the phone and answered it.

"Dad? What's with all the yelling?" she yawned

"Connie?! Do you have any idea what time it is? Why are you still at Steven's house? Why haven't you been answering your phone?"

She quickly sat up in surprise; "Dad! I'm so sorry! I…I…Last night… I had a crazy adventure! Or… Was it a dream? Hold on, dad."

Connie covered the phone with her hand and looked at me, frightened.

"Steven! What happened last night? Was that real? I'm gonna get into huge trouble!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Act Eight**

STEVEN P.O.V

I glanced to Pearl and the other Gems, and then back to Connie.

"Yeah! It did happen. But it wasn't your fault! You shouldn't get into trouble."

Connie looked wildly around, towards the Gems, and then back to me; "I...I...Really?" she stuttered, still holding the phone so her parents couldn't hear.

I gulped and nodded at her, fearful of what her parents might say. Connie put the phone back to her ear; "I'll be home soon father. We'll explain everything there! Even I don't have a clue what's going on, honestly."

Mr. Maheswaran angrily barked incomprehensible words, but was interrupted by Connie hanging up. She started blankly at the ground for a few moments, and then sighed; "Oh my goodness…" she said, sitting up on the couch.

CONNIE P.O.V

I stayed silent for about a minute, recalling all of the insane events that occurred last night. That weird wolf-serpent thing and the lightning… Darkness, running back to Steven's house, kissing…

Was that even real? I have a cloudy 'memory' of Steven kissing me yesterday. I'm almost certain it was just a dream though. I'd be too embarrassed to ask Steven about it, of course.

I already have a severe anxiety problem, and talking to Steven about such an embarrassing thing like a kiss… I'd probably have a breakdown. I've had a gigantic crush on him ever since we first met. He's basically my only real friend. But I do know for a fact that I'm not good enough for him…

I mean, he's a magical Gem warrior, with obviously some kind of magical destiny! I'm just… myself. Nothing too special. No magical destiny, no pink Lion, and no amazing powers. I know he likes me as a friend… And even if this relationship goes further than that, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have time for me. But still, I mean—

Pearl interrupted my odd train of thoughts; "We should probably get you home, Connie."

"Oh! Yes. I think so too. You know, before I get into big trouble, haha." I responded, with a fake laugh

Steven jumped in, trying to lighten the mood; "Yea-he-heh! Come on Connie! We can use Lion. Woot, woot!"

Pearl rolled her eyes at Steven's silliness; "Whatever works. We're going to rest a bit. Stay safe, Steven. Bye, Connie! We're so sorry about this whole thing."

I waved goodbye to Pearl as she opened the Gem door and went into her room, followed by the other two Gems going into their rooms.

Steven called for Lion, trying to get him to come down the stairs; "Lion! Lion! Liiiiiiion!" he shouted

The pet scoffed and yawned at Steven from his bed upstairs.

"Aww… Come on Lion! It would be good _training_!"

Lion's ears perked up at the word. He yawned again and stood up, his massive mane flowing in the motion. He padded carefully down the stairs and next to Steven.

He stretched and lay down so we could get on. Steven hopped onto Lions back and helped me up. I took his hand and sat down on Lion. The pink animal bolted out of the door. Steven pointed in the direction of my apartment, commanding me to go there. Lion took off down the beach to my house. It was silent for a minute or two, until Steven spoke up, attempting to break the awkward silence.

"So… About yesterday…" he said quietly "It was pretty fun! I mean, besides Electrum."

I beamed again; "Yeah! We danced well for amateurs! I liked the lemonade too. Oh! I managed to scavenge my purse before we left the hill yesterday! It's a little charred, but Duronto Volume 1 is in mint condition!" I laughed, giving Steven his comic book. "I put it in my purse when you asked me if I could carry it when we went to the hill."

Steven examined his new comic book and then gave me a high-five; "Sweet! I'm gonna read it as soon as I get back home. I've been looking forward to this series ever since you recommended it to me! It's a nice gift."

I chuckled again; "No problem. The dance was super fun. It wasn't your fault that Electrum came."

"I guess so. It still feels like it was my fault, I mean, today was supposed the best day of your life! At least I can explain everything to your parents. Hopefully you won't get in trouble." Steven replied

I started to feel really tired all of the sudden; "Yeah…" I muttered, laying my head on Stevens shoulder and closed my eyes; "I'm gonna rest for a bit…"

"Okay! It'll be a while until we get your apartment anyways." Steven said

And with that, I fell into a realm of unconsciousness.

STEVEN P.O.V

Lion halted in front of the apartment complex. It only took 40 minutes by Lion. He isn't too reliable, but when you get him to do something, he does it well! Connie had fallen asleep, sitting on Lion.

It was almost nine o'clock in the morning. I picked her to the front door of the apartment. Her parents must have seen me through the window because they opened the door before I could even knock on the door.

"Steven! Do you have any idea what time it is? And—oh my goodness! What's wrong with Connie? Steven, what happened?" both of the parents growled

"It's okay, it's okay!" I assured; "She's just sleeping."

Mr. and Mrs. Maheswaran sighed slowly and motioned for me to go inside of their apartment; "Just come inside…"

"Oh, okay!" I said, stepping inside

I placed Connie on the couch and Mrs. Maheswaran turned on a few lights. I sat at the end of the couch as Connie's parents sat on the love seat next to me.

"So… What happened after the dance?" they asked

"W-well," I stuttered, trying to recall the events. "We went a spot by the beach and watched the moon rise over the horizon! Oh and then there was a huge thunderstorm too, it came out of nowhere!"

"I heard about that…" Mrs. Maheswaran whispered to her husband.

"Yeah!" I continued "And then, there was a monster that came down to Earth. Lion tried to protect us, but the monster hit him out of the way. It's called Electrum. It was a two-headed wolf-serpent fusion! You guys are familiar with fusions, right?" I explained

Connie's parents raised their eyebrows and exchanged skeptical glances with each other; "Well, Steven, we are familiar with fusions, and your magical adventures. But are you sure this really happened?"

I blinked a few times in surprise, why didn't they believe me?

"Of course!"

Mr. Maheswaran cleared his throat; "Uhhh, sure, Steven. Now, you carry Connie upstairs to her room while we call the Gems about this."

I nodded, picking Connie up and heading up the stairs to her room. It was a light blue room of moderate size, with a dresser, bookshelf, nightstand, and a big bed. It had a simple, yet fancy, look to it. The brown, wooden furniture stood out against the light blue walls.

I set Connie down on her bed and pulled the white sheets lightly over her. I could hear Connie's parents talking to the Gems over the phone downstairs.

Lion was whining and scratching at the door downstairs, presumably wanting to go home. I should head home too, my job here is done, I thought.

CONNIE P.O.V

I slowly opened my eyes; I was back in my room, in my own house. My parents were talking to someone frantically downstairs on the phone. Steven was in the doorway, leaving my room. I must have fallen asleep on Lion earlier.

"Steven?" I called out weakly

He paused, then turned around; "Connie? You're awake?" he asked

"Kinda…" I replied "Are you going home?"

"Yeah. Lion is whining. He probably wants me to feed him!" Steven laughed

I smiled, and then thought of the kissing incident again. I pondered for a few moments whether I should ask Steven about it. It's now or never.

"Hey, Steven. I wanna ask you something before you leave." I said

"What is it?"

"Well… It's about Electrum. I mean, not about Electrum but… During the Electrum attack. Did you actually kiss me? Or was that not real?"

Steven blushed and grinned; "I think it was real." He rubbed the back of his neck and walked over to me; "But if it wasn't… This is."

Steven bent down a little and kissed me on the cheek; "Bye Connie! I'll see you again sometime soon!" he exclaimed, rushing out the door

I blushed and laid back down in my bed, grinning to myself. Out of my window I saw my parents waving goodbye to Steven as he rode home on Lion.

I can guarantee that today and yesterday were my favorite days of my entire life. Not the best, of course. But my personal favorites.


End file.
